Shelf for ladders



S. PLASCLASCOVITIE.

SHELF FOR LADDERS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.30`. 191B.

1,352,914, Panwdsept. 14,1920.

SIDN'EY PLASGLASCOVITIE, OF,DNVER, COLORADO.

SHELF Fon LADDERS.

To all whom t 'may concern Be it known that I, SiDNEY PLAsoLAscovrrm, a citizen of the United States, and a resident oit' Denver, in the county of Denver and Stateof Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shelves for Ladders, of which the following is a Y specification.

This invention relates to a shelf or support adapted for attachment to ladders.

An object of this invention is to provide a supporting shelf for attachment to ladders, which is relatively light in weight, land includes suitable attaching means, whereby it may be quickly and conveniently attached to either a stepladder oran ordinary painters ladder for supporting lany desired article. f 1

More specifically, the invention comprehends the provision of a supporting shelf as specified, including a supporting plate having a plurality of rods attached to the under surface of the same to which rods are connected suitable attaching brackets for engagement with a brace or rung of the ladder structure, struts which are adjustably connected to another of said rods for movement longitudinally on the rod, and bracing members to prevent buckling of the struts under the weight-of an article supported by the supporting plate, all of which members, namely the attaching brackets, struts and braces are mounted` upon the plate carried rods for. longitudinal movement thereon to adapt the device for attachment to ladders of various widths.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and

. in which drawing:

- Figure 1 is a sectional view through a stepladder showing the improved supporting shelf attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan'of` the 'supporting shelf structure havingv partsl thereof v broken away. Y

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one ofthe bracing members employed inthe shelf structure, and

-Fig. 4 is a'view showin the improved shelfl attached to an ordmary painters' ladder.

Referring more particularly .to the drawing-'wherein like characters indicate like or Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented sept. 14, 1920.

Application led August 30, 1918. Serial No. 252,075.

corresponding parts, the letterA indicates an ordinary stepladder, comprising'the supporting legs or brace members 1, and stiles 2 which carry the steps 3. vThe bracing legs 1 are braced by the v'ordinary bracing member 4, while the stiles`2 are braced in' adjusted positions from the supporting legs by the ordinary type of hinged brace members 5. v 1

The improved supporting shelf, which is generally indicated by the numeral 10, is connected'to the ladder structure l, by means of the brace bar 4 and an auxiliary brace bar 11v carried by vthe legs 1` a short distance below the top step 3a of the ladder.

The improved supporting .shelf 10 com? prinses the supporting plate 12 which has va pair of bearing members 13 attached under surface near its inner edges. v- A rod 14 is carried by these bearing vmembers 13 and it has attaching brackets 15 adjustably mounted thereon for movement longitudinally of the rod'and toward or from each to its other. Theattaching brackets 15 comprise the relatively long lower sections 16 which are provided with the bearings -17 which engage the rod 14, and the relatively short upper members 118 which are parallelto the lower-relatively long members 16 being spaced therefrom suiiicient distance to fit snugly over the edge of the plate 1 2. The

brackets 15` have clamping members 19 formed thereon which curve downwardly beneathv the lower relatively long members 16 and engage about the brace rod 11, being held against movement off the. brace rod by suitable thumb nuts 20.

A pair of brackets 21 are carried at the outer edge of the plate y12, and they 'support a rod 22.4 The rod 22 is positioned beyond the outer edge of the plate 12 and it has a pair ofbrace members 23 ,connected thereto.

'The brace members 23 are mounted upon the rod 22 for longitudinal movement therealong for adjusting the 'distances between 'these brace members, to accommodate them to ladders of various Widths. The brace j members 23 extend downwardly, under the plate 12 and have their lower Iends bifurcatedas shown at 24 for ittin over the brace 4. Thumb nuts 25 extend t rough the arms of the bifurcated lower ends of the brace members or struts 23 to prevent these bifurcatedends from slippingoif the bracing ,rod 4.V4 The struts 23 have a plurality Y110 ol hooks 26 carried thereby and extending 28. These braces 28 have eyes 29 formed' upon their upper ends which eyes are mounted about a rod 30 which is carried by suitable brackets 31 that are attached to` the under surface of the supporting plate 12. Thumb screws 32 are carried by the flat .terminals of the hooks 27 and engage across 'the upper -edges of the struts 23 to prevent the hooks from moving olf the struts while .the brace members 28 are prevented from movement longitudinally along the struts by the hook members 26 with which they engage. The brace members 28 are provided to prevent buckling of the struts 23 and to assist in the maintainin of a rigid supporting structure for the self 12 to permit it to support the desired articlev without danger of slipping or breaking. The plurality of hooks26 is provided, to permit the4 proper positioning of the bracing rods 28, when attaching the shelf to various types of ladders or ladders at various angles, so as to allow the supporting plate 12 to remain in a horizontal position at all times.

Changes in details may be made Withoutgeparting from the spirit of this invention,

I claim:

1. In a shelf attachment vfor ladders, the combination, of a supporting plate, a rod carried by said supporting plate parallel to the inner edge thereof, and attaching brackets adjustably mounted upon said rod for lateral movement with respect to the plateVA and `for movement toward or from each other.

2. In a shelf attachment for ladders, the combination, of a supporting plate, a rod carried by said plate parallel to the inner edge thereof, attachin bracketsadjustably carried by said rod or lateral movement with respect to the plate'andv for movement toward or from each other, a rod car and parallelto the outer edge of sai d at and a plurality of struts pivotally connected to said rod for lateral movement with re` spect to the -plate and for movement toward and from each other.

`3. l'n a shelf attachment for ladders, the combination, of -a supporting plate, a rod carried beneath said plate, brackets adjustably carried by said rod for movement toward or from each other for connecting the plate to a ladder, a rod carried at the outer edge of said plate, a plurality of struts pivotally connected to said rod for movement toward or fromeach other, the free ends of said struts adapted for connection to said ladder, a third rod carriedby said-supporting plate, bracing arms supporting mounted upon said third rod for movement l 4. In a shelf attachment for ladders, the

. combination, of a supporting plate, a rodV attached to said plate near one end thereof, supporting brackets mounted upon said rod ,for adjustment toward or from each other,

said attaching brackets comprising spaced parallel plate engaging members, and downturned hooks carried by` said bracket for engagement with a ladder.

5. In ahelf attachment for ladders, thel combination, of a supporting plate, a rod carried beneath said plate, supporting brackets toward or from each other for connecting the plate to a ladder, a rod carriedv at the outer edge of said plate, a plurality of struts pivotallyy connected to said rod for movement toward or from each other, the free ,end of said struts adapted for connection to said ladder, a series of downturned hooks arranged upon each strut, a third rod carried by said supporting plate, bracing arms mounted-upon said third rod for movement longitudinally therealon said bracing rods havmg their free ends ormed for engagement over said struts and engaging a selected hook of said series of hooks to prevent longitudinal movement upon said struts to brace the sup ortin late. s

SID Y PILSCLASCOVITIF' adjustably carried by said rod for movement 

